Lynette Robinson returns to Oaklawn in new role as a family nurse practitioner

MARSHALL  – Perhaps it’s not too surprising that some of the young students in the Union City middle-school biology class were reluctant to dissect a cow’s heart. 

Not Lynette Robinson. The teen-ager – then known as Lynette Weeks – went right to work, mesmerized by what she saw as the “magic” of how the heart functioned.

“A lot of my classmates were afraid to touch it, but I found it absolutely amazing and interesting,” she recalled. “I never shied away from anything like that.”

In time, the young woman’s self-igniting fascination with all things scientific led to an interest in the healing arts. 

Now, with more than two decades of experience, she returns to Oaklawn, where she began her medical career as a nurse but now as a family nurse practitioner. Primarily, Robinson will be seeing patients at Oaklawn Medical Group – Obstetrics & Gynecology, in Suite 3D of the Wright Medical Building at 215 E. Mansion St.  Appointments may be made by calling (269) 558-0702. 

Robinson also will provide services at Oaklawn Medical Group’s After Hours Express – Marshall, 1174 W. Michigan Ave.  No appointments are necessary at this walk-in location. Additional information for this office are available by calling (269) 789-4390.

Robinson grew up on a couple of rural acres near Union City as part of a family where factory work was the norm. Encouraged in her studies by her paternal grandmother, an avid reader, the young woman developed a respect for books and the knowledge they contained.

Her curiosity and drive led her to excel in such high-school classes as chemistry, biology and the physical sciences, and she was inducted into the National Honor Society. 

“Originally, I thought about becoming a physician,” she said, “but as I grew older I realized that I wanted to have a family, and the time involved in study would be a challenge if I wanted to have time with them. I decided that I still could make a difference in people’s lives as a nurse.”

After graduation from Union City High School, Robinson enrolled at Battle Creek-based Kellogg Community College, from which she received an associate’s degree in nursing in 1998.

As a new registered nurse, Robinson launched her medical career in Battle Creek, after which she came to Oaklawn’s intensive-care unit, where she worked with patients until late 2001. Her later professional experience included work at Battle Creek Health System, Brookside Surgery Center, The Oaks and The Legacy, all based in Battle Creek. 

Robinson returned to school to earn a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Chicago-based Chamberlain University in 2019. She went on to earn a master of science degree in nursing with a speciality as a family nurse practitioner from the same university in 2020. Since then, she has worked as a nurse practitioner for PACE of Southwest Michigan and Albion-based STG International Inc.

Robinson is certified as a registered nurse by the state of Michigan and as a family nurse practitioner by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She also is certified in basic life support and advanced cardiac life support.

Robinson and her husband of 22 years, Steve, have three children – Hunter, 21; Cole, 19, and Skylar, 18. The family reside near Battle Creek. 

“Family is important to me,” she said. “I was very close to my grandparents, who were my babysitters, so I like to do things together with my children and husband, such as family vacations.” She also likes to read psychological thrillers and mysteries, as well as walk four miles daily whenever possible. 

Robinson added that she’s eager to return to Oaklawn, where she had started her nursing career 19 years ago. 

“I had three rotations while I was first with Oaklawn, and I had great experiences at every single site,” she said. “Everyone was wonderful and it was a great environment. So, I really wanted to end up at Oaklawn because I had been so happy there, and everyone had been so supportive.”

When hospitalization was required for her grandparents, they received “great care” at Oaklawn, she added.

“That’s another reason I have faith in Oaklawn as a health facility,” she said. “It just feels like coming home.”